


To Notice

by bjfic_archivist



Category: Queer as Folk (US)
Genre: Canon, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2004-06-20
Updated: 2004-06-20
Packaged: 2018-12-27 12:03:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 554
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12080685
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bjfic_archivist/pseuds/bjfic_archivist
Summary: This is a sequel to Not to Notice. It falls roughly after 409.  Thanks to Lenajill for the beta.





	To Notice

**Author's Note:**

> Note from IrishCaelan, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [The Brian/Justin Fanfiction Archive](http://fanlore.org/wiki/Brian_Justin_Fanfiction_Archive). To preserve the archive, I began importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in September 2017. I posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [The Brian/Justin Fanfiction Archive collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/bjfic/profile).

It takes a few days for Brian to notice that Justin has started buying Zephyrhills water instead of their usual Evian. When he asks why, Justin tells him that it tastes better than that French shit. Justin doesn’t mention that Evian doesn’t come with sports tops. When Brian is so tired he can hardly lift his head from the pillow he can drink from the Zephyrhills bottles without spilling water on his face. 

Jennifer finds out when she stops by the loft unannounced. She notices the sheet of paper carefully placed by the refrigerator, “Dietary Recommendations for Radiation Therapy Patients”, and that pretty much kills any chance of her buying the ‘food poisoning’ excuse that Brian tries to foist off on her. Justin knows he’s wasting his breath anyway. Jennifer Taylor has a way of finding out pretty much whatever she wants. By the time she leaves them alone she has changed the sheets on the bed, ordered a truckload of groceries, made two kinds of soup and left them both thoroughly cowed. Brian tells Justin that he’s a lot like his mother.

Brian tells Debbie himself. He knows he owes her that and, deep down, he wants her to know. He doesn’t anticipate that Debbie will tell his mother. Joannie shows up at Kinnetic and the staff all pretend not to hear the screaming match that results. Cynthia and Ted (separately) call Justin to warn him. 

Brian is still shaking with rage when he arrives for his radiation treatment. The technician, who knows him a bit by now, notices and feigns a minor delay to give Brian a chance to calm down. While they arrange him on the table and aim the machines at the purple marks they’ve drawn on his skin he tries not to think of the hate filled words that she flings at him like stones. 

When he leaves the hospital he finds Emmett waiting by the ‘vette, begging for a ride home. He had some catering business nearby. Brian is too tired to notice that Emmett doesn’t have his portfolio with him and that somehow Emmett ends up driving. He may be a flaming queen but he’s also a southern boy and like all southern boys he knows how to drive a stick. 

In their circle of friends, Michael has Debbie, uber fag-hag mom; Justin has Jennifer, earnestly supportive and loving; Ted has his sweet, befuddled sparrow of a mother, who just wishes her son would find a nice boy. Brian has Joannie and Emmett has Beth-Ann. 

Emmett wants to point out that their mothers are horrible people and not worth the wasted energy worrying over, but he remembers when he left Hazelhurst and his mother told him it would probably be best if he didn’t come back, he cried. So he doesn’t say anything. But when he goes up to the loft with Brian he notices the slight smile on Brian’s face when he finds the pot of soup on his stove and the note from Jennifer telling him he’d better eat it.

Justin likes to cook for him, especially now. Brian doesn’t tell him that he’s really not all that good at it. But he notices that Jennifer and Debbie have taken to leaving things in their refrigerator. He guesses they’ve noticed that about Justin’s cooking, too.


End file.
